The Age of Innocence is now officially over. I mean it had to happen. There are just some things you can't avoid forever. I mean if you go to enough away playoff games, eventually you will witness a loss. Hopefully they will be few and far between but they will rear their ugly head from time to time.
Hello - it's the playoffs. What that means is that the opposition is, by definition, pretty good. Last night was my loss. For those of you keeping score at home, I have made it out to every playoff game, home and away, since 2004.
Here is the away list:
2004 @ New York (win)
2004 @ LA vs KC (win)
2005 @ Chicago (tie)
2006 @ New York (win)
2007 @ Chicago (loss) DAGGER!
So there it is. My first time. Not exactly Sweet Home Chicago is it? Well you know what? I don't mind the loss. I think United will advance by taking care of business in front of 25k fans at RFK next Thursday. I seriously find it easier to be upbeat about the teams I follow when they are struggling. Never kick somebody when they are down...unless Dan Snyder is the one calling the shots.
All in all you gotta take the good with the bad. It is all part of the journey that we have decided to take.
Ok lets focus on the good if we can.
(+5) I got a chance to talk with ESPN's Julie Foudy and Rob Stone. Julie even decided that taking a picture with me about 10 beers deep was a risk she was willing to take. As soon as I charge up my phone I will have to upload that shot of me and the former World Cup Veteran.
(+2) I get to add another stadium to my list. The latest numbers show me up to 50 in my climb towards 100. The other two times I have been to Chicago the Fire were still sharing Soldier Field with the Bears.
(+2) They serve beer until the 75th minute at Toyota Park. Once I realized United wasn't going to come back I took full advantage of this rule.
(+2) Beer is $2 cheaper at Toyota Park as opposed to RFK.
(+1) I was able to make a lot of people laugh yesterday. Random texts from friends asking if I was in Chicago was met with laughter after receiving my answer. Only problem is that I had loads of trouble completing texts after the game. Lots of errors and incomplete deliveries. Weird - see the last two comments above to figure out what went wrong.
(+4) I shook off the hangover after about an hour this morning and slept on the flight. Stay away from the liquor and I am usually fine the next day.
(+1) Didn't have to take time off work. I worked later a few nights this week to even out the ledger.
(+20) Sam faked on going. What that means is that he didn't get thrown out. FYI - he was asked to leave Soldier Field in 2005 by the guys in yellow security jackets.
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